- The Utah attorney general has charged Alexander Wardell with murder in Morgan Harris' 2023 death.
- Wardell allegedly locked Harris in a shed where she died in a fire from smoke inhalation.
- Salt Lake County district attorney declined to file charges, calling it a "tragic accident."
MURRAY — A fire that killed a woman who was locked in a Murray storage shed was ruled to be a "tragic accident" last year after a yearlong investigation by the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office.
But now, the Utah Attorney General's Office says the death of 27-year-old Morgan Kay Harris was no accident, or at the very least was the result of reckless actions.
On Thursday, the office filed a charge of murder, a first-degree felony, or in the alternative manslaughter, a second-degree felony, in 3rd District Court against Alexander Paul Wardell, 33, who was Harris' boyfriend at the time of her death.
Wardell, who is currently incarcerated at the Utah State Prison, also faces charges of kidnapping, a second-degree felony, and aggravated animal cruelty, a class B misdemeanor, or, in the alternative, just the animal cruelty charge. The charges also come with penalty enhancements if he is convicted of domestic violence and being a habitual offender.
On Feb. 18, 2023, a fire was reported inside a small storage unit at 4608 S. 900 East. A padlock on the door prevented fire crews from immediately entering. Once inside, they discovered the bodies of Harris and her dog. Wardell — who was believed to be living with Harris in the shed — was arrested for investigation of negligent homicide and kidnapping. Police say Wardell admitted to putting Harris in the storage unit, putting a lock on the door and then leaving.
However, after an extensive investigation that involved the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and District Attorney Sim Gill sending two of his chief deputies to Maryland where several days of burn tests were conducted on a replica storage unit, Gill announced in 2024 that investigators reached the conclusion it was "not likely" that Wardell intentionally set the fire and that no charges would be filed against him.
As for the reason for putting a lock on the door — one that could only be opened from the outside — Gill said last year that the investigation showed it was simply how Harris and Wardell kept their door closed. He said there was no indication she was being held in the storage unit against her will, which is why he also declined to file a charge of kidnapping.
"How do I prove she did not consent to that? With what evidence do I do that? Who do I put on the stand?" he asked. "We found no evidence going through her phone, his phone, all the material that we could gather, that led us to get to any of that point … we looked. We scoured, we looked if there was any humanly possible way to articulate to meet those elements for the purpose of filing charges. We could not get there."
"The Utah state medical examiner reported the immediate cause of death as smoke inhalation and thermal injuries and the manner of death as 'undetermined,'" according to charging documents filed Thursday.
As part of the attorney general's review of the case, a search warrant was served on a duffel bag initially collected as evidence by Murray police.
"In it, investigators found an extra-large blue button-down long-sleeve shirt wadded up in the center of other extra-large clothing. Blood stains and burn marks appeared to be on the shirt. A rapid DNA test revealed the tested red brown stains to be blood and the DNA in the blood matched (Harris') DNA," the charges state.
Fire investigators determined that the fire started "underneath and to left of (Harris) inside the back corner of the storage unit. (She) was unconscious and sitting in a folding plastic webbed lawn chair with metal supports. While (Harris) sat unconscious, her buttocks area and left side caught on fire. A person who was conscious while this was occurring would have sought to evade the pain of fire, which (Harris) did not immediately do," according to charging documents.
Gill's final report last year of the fire stated that his office consulted with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which concluded "while other causes could be eliminated from causing the fire that killed Ms. Harris, the following were all possible and could not be eliminated as possible causes: an accidental smoldering fire caused by discarded smoking materials from cigarettes; an accidental fire caused by the use of candles; or while 'not likely' an intentional fire set by Mr. Wardell."
Charging documents Thursday note that "a burnt cardboard box was located near where (Harris') chair had been. Inside the box was an intact candlestick. A lighter was found on (Harris') body."
Prosecutors say Harris and Wardell had been arguing prior to her death. Less than an hour before being locked in the shed, surveillance video from the storage unit showed Harris and their dog, "Huck," walking several feet behind Wardell.
"The body posture of (Wardell and Harris) supports that (they) were arguing," according to the charges. Wardell allegedly confirmed to police that Harris was "super" mad at him that afternoon, "and both of them were 'uncomfortable coming off' of drugs."
Investigators uncovered additional evidence of the fighting between the two in the days leading up to Harris' death.
On Feb. 8, 2023, Harris sent Wardell a Facebook message stating, "Guess I'm gonna apply to live by myself at an apartment you won't know about so you can't (expletive) abuse or kill me," the charges state.
Harris had bailed Wardell out of jail on Feb. 16, 2023 — the second time she had done so — after he was arrested for violating the conditions of his probation on a domestic violence-related condition, according to the charges.
The day before Harris' death, Wardell was text messaging another man about money Wardell owed, and Wardell is angry, claiming Harris spent the money he was to pay, according to charging documents.
"Prior to (Harris') death, (Wardell) performed Google searches for 'how to obtain a passport.' The charged death is supported by substantial evidence, which includes evidence provided by multiple witnesses," prosecutors wrote in their charges. "Currently, (Wardell) is serving time at the Utah State Prison. (He) has been convicted of two third-degree aggravated assault domestic violence convictions against another girlfriend. He strangled the victim in (one case) and hit her with a golf club in (the other case)."
Gill on Thursday said he stands by his team's decision to not file charges based on the evidence they had at that time. If his office missed something or if the attorney general's office feels it can get a conviction based on information they've collected, he says he supports that.
